Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-05-28
FALSE PRAISE AND WORSHIP.

and oppression than false praise and
worship OF its unworthy rulers, in
,ne sense; and the blind obedience
aud support of unjust laws and
tyrannic customs, in another. Obedi-
ence to lawful and righteous
authority is a divine precept, but
divine authority itself exacts SUBJ
only "in all that is not SIM"
In few instances does this false
praise and worship arise from con.
scientious promptings, but in almost
every case from compulsion of
and from an unholy zeal
to be in high favor with worldly
pomp and vanity. If we run through
ecclesiastical history all the abuses
and injustices recorded by accepted
historians, sprung up in the church
through che corruptions of the age
and the countenance of a base and
following of worldly great.
ness. In every age there were those
who risked all and dared all to oppose
and denounce the false course of the
ruling powers, but the generations
that knew them gave them little
heed and less thanks. 1t seems
that ambition in the higher order of
mankind is nothing but an animal
passion in human nature to rule,
and deal with the life and will in it's
power as the herdsman deals with
his cattle; and the lower classes of
humanity show this animal instinct
in them by the sacrifice of their in.
dependence in tame submission
The student of history need not
look to heathenism or barbarianism
for the fullest illustration of this; it
is found in the height of it's ignom'
my under Roman imperialism among
the proudest nations of the earth
Barbarianism in all its stages de
stroyed nothing but the body; but
under the enlightened civilization Of
christian kings and princes, the
mind and soul,-justice and truth
the noblest works of Gods creation
are destroyed as the husbandman
weeds out the rank growth of vege
tatlon. Royalty has cost the world
more lives than 1t has souls inhabit
ing it today. To keep up the strong
governments of the world has re-
quired more means than the combin
ed value of all that is under the sun
From time immemorial more ma
tions have been blotted out of exis
tence by the expressions of tribute
and taxation than by the force oil
arms. What has royalty and the
strength of governments left for the
fearful price they have cost A
few ruins, few relics, a few vicious
and degenerated customs and man.
ners-nothing more I! They produc'
ed nothing, but consumed all that
people alter people could produce by
the sweat of their brow. Take the
last vestiges of kingly grandeur that
remain under the free and fair sky
of America,-the Spanish posses
sions,-Mexico and the Indies .
what are they? Nothing more than
they were three hundred years ago
-down.trodden, beggared and op.
pressed countries. They we're sub
dued under the banner of the gospel
for their possessions, gold and
northumberland the laws, institu-
tions and conditions of the people
have known no progress or improve.
ment, though the natural features
of the land are the most beautiful
and promising in the world.
1t has often occurred to us that
the leaders and teachers Of the ris-
ing generations of America, do not
sufficiently impress upon the shaping
moulds in their hands the origin of
this country and the conditions
under which it reached existing per-
lection, yet differing so widely from
the course of governments that have
characterized other nations past and
present. Much is said of Washing.
ton and the Revolution, but too
little Importance is attached to the
civil and religious causes that led
our forefathers to forsake their ma
tive lands, and assume the dangers
and privations of a settlement in the
UNEMPLOYED forests of America
FREEDOM! from what? oppression
Of mind and body that millions are
yet undergoing in other countries.
Teach them, too, what FREEDOM
means,--the difference between
freedom and European
freedom Not license to abuse the
glorious privileges we enjoy; but
love, respect and obedience to the
will of the people as expressed by
their laws and represented by their
government,--freedom of thought,
word and action, I" in all that is not
in,"-that is American Liberty.
For practical illustrations of the
false praise and worship men blindly